Eminent Domain Tables Turned in California

The national government of the United States, to a through depth in all three branches, has been captured by global (not merely national) corporatist interests. Those who would think to deny this statement should explain to you why a third of QE I and almost all of QE II actually went to the U.S. branches of foreign owned banks, and from there the money was quickly transferred overseas. The new money did not goose our domestic economy because it did not enter it. It was about bailing out Europe's banking system. Your children are expected to work in order to pay off the debt created to accomplish this. If the American people and not global corporations control the government of the United States, how did this happen?

The entities which effectively control our national government are not even of our nation, therefore it is little wonder that this government's (I do not say "our" government) policies on foreign affairs, immigration, education, trade, banking and economics, and essentially every other major issue is globalist in outlook. Minding our own business and doing things our own way while allowing others to do the same is not an option valued in either dominant political gang. The reason? Because global corporations find it easier and more profitable for them to do business when rules, and therefore governments, are "harmonized."

Domestically, this grinding corporate oppression takes many forms. From mandates from government that we purchase and use their products (even dangerous products like some vaccines) to various subsidies and advantages written into the law to suppress free-market competition. The number of ways the laws were changed to enhance the looting of the population exploded as the ruling class noticed there was very little push-back from the population no matter how outrageous their actions. People continued to plod along, locked in the Red- Blue facade, and completely trusting their team color of choice to look out for their interests and protect their liberties even though they are funded by the same people doing the looting.

The abuse of eminent domain has been added to the list of ways giant corporations have used the government to transfer wealth from private citizens to their pockets. The Courts, through the Kelo decision, solidified the practice of a local government using eminent domain to transfer property from one private owner to another. It forced people out of their homes who did not want to leave, or who wanted a higher price, in order to turn (for example) the land into a strip mall. Using the government to transfer the ownership of private property from one private entity to another is considered by Localists and many others to be an abuse of eminent domain.

Imagine a home mortgaged for $400,000 that was only worth half that. The city would take it from the banks at 80% of true value and issue a new mortgage to the "owner" at 90% of true value. The banks would go from having a $400,000 loan on their books (backed by a home worth $200,000) to $160,000 in cash. Well, technically, since these mortgages were all repackaged and sold from the original lender what would happen would be that the value of the Mortgage Backed Securities which owned any income from the mortgages would take a big hit. The banks are outraged, and are counter-suing.

This news brings conflicting feelings. On the one hand, one is tempted to think what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. On the other hand, whether the rich are using government to loot the rest or the rest are using government to loot the rich, it is still looting. When the corporate giants first started this abuse of government, they should have realized that there would be unintended consequences to perverting the rule of law. There always is. The stratagems they use to undermine property rights in order to defraud others can be used by others to defraud them.

Richmond California, if they are permitted to follow through on their plan, will find that there are unintended consequences as well. It will be harder for other people to get home loans in that jurisdiction. More people will want access to the scam, leading to costly legal battles. Once the genie of government theft is out of the bottle, it is hard to tell where it will end up.

And that is the real trouble with government theft. That is what must happen once government abandons its true calling of protecting private property rights and becomes the enforcer for redistributing the same. We will all spend less and less of our time, energy and effort serving one another and thereby generating new wealth. Instead, we shall spend more and more of our time, energy, and effort lobbying government to protect what we already have from looting, and loot others of what they have. This turns us from one another's mutual servants to one another's rivals and pillagers- with the effect on civility which we have begun to see. In the long run, abandoning the rule of law, respect for private property rights, and if I may say so the Tenth Commandment of God, is a recipe for poverty and oppression.

The rights you have to your land and the improvements made upon it are spelled out for you in the title to your land. A land title is the first document that transfers ownership of land from the public domain to the private domain. This generally occurs by the act of a grant by the sovereign: a king or other head of state, or their governmental agent: the governmental body acting on behalf of the people, ie. the United States.

In the original 13 American states that would be the kings and queens of England. In other parts of North America it could be the kings and queens of France, Spain, or Holland. in certain instances there are grants from American Indian tribes. For all remaining land occupied by the American republics the granting agent was most likely The United States in Congress assembled.

All the rights to land start there and may only be abridged by assent of the present title holder by deed. No ex post facto law may change or abridge the rights to land originally granted.

If you research the title of your land to its origin and can demonstrate a clear equity ownership to that title, then you may declare a land patent for which there is no higher form of ownership. Once declared, the burden of proof falls upon your opponent, whoever that may be, public or private party, to demonstrate your claim false.

It feels bad to have to do bad things to another person, entity (composed of individual persons!), or even the Government (but, to me, less so! ;) ) -- some persons truly feel that latter represent *them*... Same as (to give a more extreme example) it should feel bad for a decent person to shoot and kill a dangerous intruder (and most of us would be hurt by being in a situation having to do just that!) -- but it's an accepted libertarian (as opposed to pacifist) creed that we can and should do just that...

The crux of the question to me is: "Who *initiated* the aggression?" -- if it was initiated already, by the other party, we can reciprocate in kind (and then some!) -- and still feel bad afterwards, and do our soul searching, but the latter is between you and you, or you and God...

As to the law, even initially moral law, if it is perverted, it ceases being one. I am sure there were plenty of cases on otherwise good and just English Common Law Books which made it unlawful to expropriate the whole Continent from the Crown... ;) It did happen though, and we can not blame The Men who did that, now, can we?

And I really liked the "man who created his own credit card" story yesterday, yes, on one level it's total fraudulent deception (he did intend to deceive them, after all!), and no, I find it funny rather than immoral!

with my head. In the end though, we can't follow our emotions. Emotions make a good caboose but a bad engine. I think at the end of the article it pretty much comes to that conclusion.

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Localism is for people who can still sleep at night even though somebody they don't know in a city they have never been is doing things differently. ("Localism, A Philosophy of Government" on Amazon for Kindle or Barnes and Noble ebook websites)

Localism is for people who can still sleep at night even though somebody they don't know in a city they have never been is doing things differently. ("Localism, A Philosophy of Government" on Amazon for Kindle or Barnes and Noble ebook websites)

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